F1 team boss admits five rivals are ‘too fast’ after Australian GP qualifying

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Visa Cash App RB boss Laurent Mekies has issued a bleak verdict about his team after how Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda fared in qualifying for the 2024 Australian GP.

The Faenza natives are so far yet to get off the mark this term following the first two rounds. RB sit ninth in the constructors’ championship after failing to score points in the Bahrain GP or the Saudi Arabian GP. Tsunoda will present their best hope for points in the Australian GP.

Only Alpine rank below Visa Cash App RB, as well, thanks to Ricciardo opening his campaign with P13 at the Bahrain GP. The Perth native ended the Saudi Arabian GP in P16, just behind Tsunoda in P15. But Ricciardo has a mountain to climb at his home Australian GP on Sunday.

Mekies admits five teams are ‘too fast’ for Visa Cash App RB

Ricciardo finished qualifying at Albert Park this Saturday in only P18, ahead of Zhou Guanyu of Sauber. The Perth native lost his best lap time, which was enough for Q2, after exceeding track limits at Turn 5. While Zhou did not improve his time after getting front wing damage.

Tsunoda, on the other hand, would make it into Q3 and will start the Australian GP from P8. The Japanese gem posted a 1:17.356 personal-best lap in Q1, before improving to 1:16.791 in Q2 and to 1:16.788 in Q3 to beat the Aston Martin duo of Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso.

Ricciardo’s best legitimate lap time was only 1:18.085 for his worst qualifying result ever at the Australian GP. His difficulties left Visa Cash App RB team principal Mekies feeling rather pessimistic ahead of Q2 with the 46-year-old admitting that they were relying on ‘mistakes’.

“The top five teams are going to be too fast,” Mekies told Sky Sports F1 (23/3, 05:23). “So, basically, we are shooting for the best positions out of the top 10 and we try to be there, to be topping the midfield and to see if any of the top 10 guys make a mistake.”

Mercedes icon Hamilton gave Mekies the ‘mistake’ RB needed

Ultimately, Mercedes icon Lewis Hamilton gifted Visa Cash App RB the ‘mistake’ that Mekies pleaded for. The seven-time F1 champion failed to reach Q3 after posting a 1:16.960 to take only P11 in Melbourne. George Russell in the other Mercedes also only managed P10 in Q2.

Russell improved to post a 1:16.724 in Q3 to marginally eclipse Tsunoda and RB to claim P7. It also meant that four teams proved to be faster than Visa Cash App RB in Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes. Aston Martin failed to maintain their threat from Q1 and Q2 in Q3.